Mardi Gras has a connotation of being one of the wildest parties throughout the year. However, Fat Tuesday is a long-standing tradition of the Catholic Church, and it marks the last day of ordinary time before the start of Lent, a time of fasting and repentance. The celebration dates back centuries to pagan celebrations of fertility and the season of spring.

A WC student said, “The purpose of Fat Tuesday is to indulge in richer and fatty foods before the fasting process.”

Ash Wednesday service is used to prepare church members to better appreciate the death and resurrection of Christ through self-examination, repentance, prayer, and fasting.

What most people think of during this time is Lent. Most likely you know someone who is giving up something that is meaningful to them for forty days. Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. You are supposed to take the time you would do that activity and spend it doing things like praying, giving back to the community, or even spending time with family.

WC student also said, “I feel like during Lent I become a more devout Catholic; having this time to dedicate myself to Christ reestablishes my relationship with Christ.”

“I feel like during Lent I become a more devout Catholic” – WC student